Brick package and method of forming



0d. 21, 1969 LEFF BRICK PACKAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 8, 1968 INVENTOR.

l 6 L w H u M Uct. 21, 1969 LEFF BRICK PACKAGE AND METHQD OF FORMING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 8, 1968 Murray Le ff INVENTOR.

. BY Wan/453% My Attorney:

United States Patent O 3,473,647 BRICK PACKAGE AND METHUD F FORMING Murray Leif, 128 Southern Blvd, Albany, N.Y. 12299 Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,577 Int. Cl. B65d 85/46, 19/26, 19/36 US. Cl. 20665 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE The instant invention is generally concerned with brick packages, and more particularly relates to a novel palletized package and the associated method of assembling the package.

It is a primary object of the instant invention to provide a brick package contemplated to greatly facilitate the shipping and storage of brick, the package being formed in a novel manner so as to achieve a maximum degree of stability in the package.

In conjunction with the above object, it is an important object of the instant invention to form a palletized unit, incorporating a support pallet for the bricks as well as a protective cardboard enclosure which receives the bricks and in turn is surrounded by securing bands or straps.

In addition, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a palletized brick package which is particularly adapted to sit on a fiat bed trailer, the dimensions of the package being such as to enable the accommodation of two packages side-by-side on a trailer, the normal width of which is 96 inches.

Further, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a brick package which, notwithstanding the rigidity of the package and convenient arrangement of the bricks, is capable of being easily assembled, utilizing only a minimum amount of material other than the brick itself so as to effect a substantially complete enclosing of a load of brick.

Basically, the objects of the invention are achieved through the provision of a stack of bricks eight bricks high and seven bricks wide, including five center rows seventeen bricks deep and two end rows five bricks deep with the bricks in the end row orientated lengthwise from the front to rear perpendicular to the bricks in the five center rows. The stack of bricks is surrounded by a cardboard box or enclosure which includes lower flaps extending inwardly between the stack of bricks and the support pallet, and upper flaps peripherally overlying the top of the brick pack. Finally, straps or bands encircle the package in two directions so as to complete the package and tie the bricks therein.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the brick package comprising the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on a plane passing along line 22 of FIG- URE l;

Patented Got. 21, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a perspective detail, with a portion broken awa, illustrating the manner in which the cardboard cover is to be mounted to the pallet;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the pallet and cardboard brick cover;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view, with a portion broken away, illustrating the arrangement of the bricks stacked within the enclosure; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional detail taken substantially on a plane passing along line 6-6 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate the palletized brick package comprising the instant invention. This package includes, in addition to the stack of bricks 113, a wood pallet or skid 14, the stack cover or enclosure 16, and securing straps 18 and 29.

The pallet or skid includes a flat platform 22 const ructed of a plurality of elongated laterally spaced parallel planks 24 arranged in a rectangle of approximately 40 inches by 45 inches. The planks 24 are in turn rigidly affixed to a pair of transversely extending runners of beams 26. The dimensions of the skid or pallet 14, which will thus be approximately that of the finished brick package as will best be appreciated from FIGURE 1, is such so as to particularly adapt the packages for positioning on a. fiat bed trailer, such packages being positioned side by side and being conveniently accommodated in the normal 96 inch width of such flat bed trailers.

The cover 16 will normally be of cardboard or the like, preferably 275 lb. tested kraft paper. This cover 16 is rectangular in shape, including four integrally connected upright walls 28, each having upper and lower flaps 30 and 32 approximately 8 inches wide and extending along the full length of the associated carton side 28. The lower flaps 32 are folded inwardly and stapled directly to the pallet platform 22 as will be appreciated from FIGURES 3 and 6 so as to firmly secure the cover 16 to the pallet 14 for the reception of the brick stack 12 therein.

With reference to FIGURE 5, it will be noted that the brick stack 12 includes five rows of brick 34, eight bricks high and seventeen bricks deep. The bricks in the rows 34- are orientated with the longitudinal dimension extending transversely across the package. The five rows 34 are bounded, at the opposite sides thereof, by a single row of bricks 36, eight bricks high and five bricks deep with the bricks of each of the rows 36 having the longitudinal dimension thereof orientated from front to rear so as to lie perpendicularly across the ends of the bricks in the adjacent rows 34. In this manner, the entire stack 12 is surrounded by what might be considered four walls of brick with the brick orientated so as to lie longitudinally in the wall. Thus, the brick in the two end rows 36 protectively enclose and retain the bricks in the adjacent rows 34 through an engagement of the adjacent ends thereof.

After the stack 12 is completed, the top flaps 30 are folded over the top thereof as in FIGURE 1, and the straps 18 and are applied. The straps 18 and 20 encircle the cover enclosed stack from front to rear, five such straps or bands 18 being utilized, each extending approximately centrally around one of the brick rows 34 so as to tightly band the bricks therein. The straps 20 in turn extend about the package from side to side, two such straps normally be used with these straps, through the cover walls 28 and the end rows 36 wherein the bricks are orientated perpendicularly across the ends of the bricks in the center rows 34, effecting a tight binding of the bricks within the package. It will be appreciated that the carton or cover flaps and 32 provide a continuous cover about the upper and lower peripheral edges of the stack for the protection of the brick edges from either the bands or other external sources of possible damage. By the same token, inasmuch as the upper and lower flaps 30 and 32 are only approximately 8 inches deep, the central portion of the stack, both top and bottom, is left uncovered so as to expose the contents, thus avoiding moisture accumulation, allowing the contents of the package to be immediately ascertainable, and at the same time providing for a complete enclosing of all those portions of the stack which might normally sustain damage. This enclosing of the stack is done in a manner, in cooperation with the particular arrangement of the bricks in the stack, so as to produce a highly stable unit capable of being tightly banded into a compact package particularly adapted for shipment and storage purposes.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A brick package, said package including a stack of bricks, said stack including a plurality of adjacent central rows of bricks, each central row of bricks being several bricks high and several bricks deep with the bricks in each central row having the longitudinal axes thereof orientated transversely across the rows, and one side row of bricks located to each side and adjacent said central rows of :bricks, each side row of bricks being of equal height and depth as the central rows of bricks with the bricks in each side row having the longitudinal axes thereof orientated longitudinally of the row and perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bricks in the central rows.

2. The package of claim 1 including a pallet underlying and supporting said stack of bricks, and means securing said stack of bricks to said pallet.

3. The package of claim 2 wherein said means comprises a cover peripherally surrounding and enclosing said stack on all vertical sides thereof, and bands encircling the enclosed stack and pallet.

4. The package of claim 3 wherein said cover includes four vertical walls lying adjacent the vertical sides of the stack, said cover walls each including upper and lower inwardly directed stack overlying flaps for enclosing the upper and lower edges thereof, the lower cover flaps being positioned between the pallet and the stack for reception of at least a portion of the stacked bricks thereon.

5. The package of claim 4 wherein said flaps are of a relatively short depth and expose a substantial portion of the upper and lower faces of the stacks.

6. The package of claim 5 wherein said bands include one band encircling each central row, and a pair of bands encircling the cover enclosed package transversely of the row encircling bands.

7. A brick package comprising a pallet, a rectangular stack of bricks on said pallet, a cover for said stack, said cover including four interconnected walls lying against and covering the four vertical faces of the stack, each cover wall including a bottom flap afi'ixed to the pallet between the pallet and the stack, said bottom flaps terminating in outwardly spaced relation to each other at the midportion of the bottom face of the stack so as to expose the stack, each of said vertical walls including a top flap overlying the top face of said stack, said top flaps terminating in outwardly spaced relation to each other at the center of the top face of the stack so as to expose the central portion of the top face of the stack, said flaps protectively enclosing the upper and lower peripheral edges of said stack, and securing bands encircling the stack containing cover, said stack including a plurality of adjacent central rows of bricks, each central row of bricks being several bricks high and several bricks deep with the bricks in each central row having the longitudinal axes thereof orientated transversely across the rows, and one side row of bricks located to each side and adjacent said central rows of bricks, each side row being of equal height and depth as the central rows with the bricks in each side row having the longitudinal axes thereof orientated longitudinally of the row and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bricks in the central rows.

8. The method of forming a brick package comprising mounting a box-like enclosure on a flat topped rectangular brick supporting pallet, stacking bricks on the pallet within the enclosure in seven rows with the bricks in the five central rows being positioned with the longitudinal axes thereof orientated transversely across the rows and the bricks in the two side rows being perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the bricks in the central rows, inwardly folding flaps on the upper end of said enclosure into overlying relation to the top face or' the stack of bricks peripherally thereabout, and encircling the enclosed pallet support stack of brick with securing bands.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,104,085 9/1963 Skladamy 1085 X 3,326,368 6/1967 Gooding 20605 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,042 3/1964 Canada. 1,191,744 4/1959 France.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner JOHN M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20646 

